1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device to remove a child resistant cap from a medication container without requiring gripping of the cap with the fingers and, in particular, to a device which will remove a child resistant cap using rotary action applied through the palm of the hand only.
2. The Prior Art
The consumer protection movement, which started in the United States in the 1960s, had many facets including one directed toward protecting children from ingesting medications and harmful substances. Requirements were enacted that manufacturers and dispensers of certain goods place them in containers which could be opened only with a degree of manual dexterity which was assumed to exceed that of most children. The basic designs which were realized to accomplish the child resistant status were generally in two forms. In one form, the container was provided with a series of bayonnet like slots and the cap with projections which interfit in the slots. For application or removal of the cap, it was required to both depress the cap and to rotate it in order to free it from the bayonnet like slot. The other form involved a somewhat similar arrangement except that the cap was in a two-piece arrangement in which the outer cap had to be squeezed against the inner cap in order to transmit a rotary force allowing the inner cap to be unthreaded from the container. Examples of some of these child resistant caps can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,979; 3,371,808; 3,450,289 and 4,020,965.
While these approaches have had a certain degree of success in limiting access to containers by children, they have also had the side effect disadvantage of hampering adults who have diminished manual dexterity and have need to open the containers to get their necessary medicine. For example, peopel with arthritis, neurological disease, muscular atrophy or diminished manual dexterity from any cause have all experienced various degrees of difficulty and frustration in removing the child resistant caps from their medication containers. Some of the known devices which offer to ease the removing of such lids or caps from containers have done so by providing increased friction to aid in the rotational movement required for removal of the cap. These devices still require a squeezing force which must be supplied by the individual. Two examples of this type device can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,044 and 4,001,904. Both of these devices are made out of resilient flexible plastic material and are profiled to increase the relative frictional forces. These devices, however, require the application of a squeezing force which is difficult for the individual with decreased manual dexterity or digital disability. There are other devices which are in the line of a wrench and require radial squeezing to grippingly engage the cap to be removed. Examples may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,246,649; 2,519,447 and 3,812,741. Other devices are more aplicable to removing crown caps by prying them off. Examples of these may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,038,178; 4,337,678 and 4,433,597.
The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art by providing a device which does not require any finger gripping action and in which the force for removal of the cap is applied by the palm of the user's hand. In effect, the present invention translates a downward and rotational movement with the palm of the hand to the necessary gripping force to remove a child resistant cap from a container.